One Night Stand
by crazystrings
Summary: Shay meets a beautiful woman at a bar. They hook up and when they part they figure that is the end of it. But little do they know what the future holds. (This is a story I already posted, deleted and have revised)
1. Chapter 1

Shay decided she needed a night out by herself. Since Clarice left her and moved to New York she hadn't had much alone time thanks to Severide and Dawson. She knew they were just trying to be good friends but she needed some time to herself.

When they got off shift earlier that morning Dawson had asked if she wanted to get together later but Shay said she had plans. Her and Severide had a similar conversation when they got home. Shay figured her friends assumed her plans were with the other friend which suited her just fine.

It was Saturday night so she decided a night of dancing was in order. After she made herself a quick dinner she got herself ready. She decided to go for the simple, comfy yet cute look. She wasn't trying to find anyone new but stranger things had happened so she may as well look good. Giving herself one last look in the mirror she was happy with her appearance: a well worn pair of jeans that fit perfectly, a black tank top showing just enough cleavage, her favorite black sandals, simple makeup and a silver chain around her neck with a Saint Micheal pendant Dawson had given her. Shay wasn't really a religious person but with everything she had been through on the job she figured a little respect to the patron saint of paramedics couldn't hurt.

When she went downstairs she found Severide sitting in front of the TV watching a cubs game. "Hey, they winning?" she asked.

Severide laughed. "I'm watching the cubs game, what do you think?"

Shay glanced at the TV and saw they were losing 7-0 in the seventh inning. "Good point. Well I'm heading out. Don't wait up." Shay said while she hugged him from behind the couch.

He turned to look at her, "Well you're sure dressed for a fun night out." He said with a goofy smile. "What are you up to tonight?"  
Shay didn't want to lie to him but she knew her answer would probably not go over well. "I feel like going out dancing tonight."

"By yourself?" Severide questioned knowing Dawson wasn't big on clubs.

Shay sighed. "Yes, by myself. And before you say anything, I'm fine. I just need a night out on my own. I'm not going out to replace Clarice or anything, I just want to have fun."

Severide looked a little hurt, "I thought we had fun."

Shay rounded the couch and sat next to her roommate and best friend, "We do but I need a night to myself."

Severide looked unsure what to say.

"Don't worry so much." Shay said with a reassuring smile.

"I can go with you if you want." Severide offered.

Shay laughed, "I'm heading to Berlin or maybe Roscoe's then who knows. You are an amazing friend but you hate dancing and that's what I want to do. I wouldn't be around you long enough to protect you from the boys who would no doubt converge on you."

"Are you sure about this Shay?"

Shay smiled and confidently said, "Yes! I'll be fine!"

Severide shrugged. "Okay. But you call me if you want some company? Or if you need me to pick you up?"

Shay kissed him on the cheek and got up, "You'll be my first call." She said as she headed for the door.

Shay's first stop was The Closet. Not really a place to go when you're in the mood to dance but she loved the bar and knew most of the bartenders along with some regulars. She always felt it was a good place to start the night and she had finished a number of nights at the bar as well since it stayed open later than some.

She spent a couple hours catching up with some friends she hadn't seen in a while but she knew she didn't want to spend her whole night there. A couple women she knew had mentioned wanting to go to Berlin so she tagged along.

Once they walked through the doors she headed straight for the dance floor. She didn't seek out a dance partner, she just started moving to the pulsing beat from the speakers. The movement felt good, freeing. She didn't pay much attention to those around her, she just let the music envelope her. After a few songs she had worked up a sweat and needed a drink. She headed to the bar and ordered a MGD. She took a long swig from the bottle and looked around the club. All she could see were anonymous faces which made her smile. She didn't know these people but more importantly they didn't know anything about her.

Shay moved to a vacant table near the dance floor and watched the people gyrating to the music the DJ was spinning. She had to admit she missed this a lot. With everything that had gone on during Clarice's second appearance in her life and the baby craze she went on in the aftermath she had nearly forgotten how fun it was to go out and let loose.

She finished her beer more quickly than she had intended. She just shrugged to herself and headed back out to the dance floor. Over the next hour she danced, sometimes alone and sometimes with a random person who approached her. She didn't pay much attention to those random partners because that's all she wanted them to be to her, random people.

Finally she needed to take another break from the sweaty, gyrating mass of humanity that was the dance floor. She headed to the bar for another drink but when the bartender looked her way the woman next to her spoke first.

"Can I get two MGD's?"

Shay was a little annoyed but tried to not sound like it, "I thought I was next."

The woman turned to Shay and said, "You probably were. That's why one of the beers is for you."

Shay turned her head quickly to get a better look at the woman.

Before Shay could speak the beautiful brunette smiled and said, "I thought I'd order for you, maybe start a conversation."

Despite the woman's adorable nose crinkling smile Shay responded with a slight attitude, "I am perfectly capable of ordering my own drinks." After the words escaped her mouth Shay wondered why she was being so shitty to this beautiful woman.

The bartender placed the bottles in front of the brunette and took her money. The woman grabbed one beer and slid the other to Shay. "I am aware of that, I saw you do it earlier. I just thought I'd be nice. Enjoy!" The woman said with a smile and walked away.

Shay couldn't help but watch the attractive woman walk away from the bar.

"Did you need something else?" the bartender asked.

Shay shook her head and grabbed the beer. She headed in the direction that the brunette had gone. She looked around and found the woman sitting alone at a table near the dance floor. Although Shay was slightly apprehensive and had been a bit mean, she felt drawn to this woman. She approached the table, placed her bottle on the table and sat across from the woman.

"Thank you for the drink." Shay said. "And I'm sorry that I was kind of a bitch back there."

"No worries!" The brunette replied with a smile. "I can imagine you worked up quite a thirst dancing out there. I thought I would reach out and offer you a drink."

"You didn't have to offer me anything." Shay replied more defensively than she intended seeing that she was trying to be nice. "I wasn't going for anyone's attention."

"I'm sorry if I offended you somehow. I really was just trying to be nice." The woman said with a sincere smile. "Plus it's always nice to meet new people, especially someone as attractive as you."

Shay felt caught. She wanted a night to herself but a beautiful woman was obviously trying to flirt with her. She quickly weighed her options before coming to a decision. 'Ah what the hell, you only live once' Shay thought to herself then answered the woman. "Well if you were trying to be nice and meet me you probably should have offered a name with the beverage."

The brunette laughed. She gave Shay another adorable nose crinkling smile. "Valid point. Though I did get you to follow me without giving you my name."

Shay rolled her eyes and was about to respond when the woman stuck her hand out and said, "I'm Ashley Davies."

Shay took the woman's hand and replied, "Nice to meet you Ashley, I'm Leslie Shay but most people just call me Shay."

Ashley nodded her head, "Most of the time I get called Davies."

"But what do you prefer?" Shay asked.

"Ash, Ashley or Davies works. I answer to them all. There's plenty of names I don't answer to but I don't want to give you any ideas." She replied with a mischievous grin. Then she added, "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say we are in similar professions, given your necklace."

"Really? What do you know about my necklace?" Shay replied. She wasn't sure if this was a come on or what because most people had no idea of the significance of her necklace.

Ashley nodded, "Saint Micheal, the patron saint of police officers, paramedics and E.M.T.'s right?"

"Very good." Shay replied with a smile and an impressed nod. "How did you know that? Did you quick look it up on your phone or something?"

Ashley shook her head and pulled a necklace from under her shirt. "I have a similar one."

Shay nodded recognizing the pendant immediately. She couldn't help rolling her eyes before she responded, "Saint Florian. You're a firefighter or pretending you're a firefighter. What house do you work at?"

"Actually I'm from Milwaukee. I'm here for the weekend visiting my sister who actually has a pendant very similar to yours, she's with Chicago PD." Ashley admitted. "Is it a problem that I'm a firefighter?"

Shay shook her head, "My best friend's a firefighter. I just find it amusing, I guess, that I spend so much time around firefighters normally, then a random woman I meet in a bar is also a firefighter. And for the record, I'm a paramedic."

Ashley smiled, "Good to know."

For the rest of the night Shay and Ashley were inseparable. They talked shop a bit but also joked around and danced a lot.

After bar close they walked out the doors of the club and half way down the block together. Neither woman had driven themselves to the bar so they both needed to catch a cab but neither woman was eager to end their night. They stood outside awkwardly for a few moments, neither woman sure what to do next.

Shay found herself feeling bold so she asked, "So I know this line is cliché but I'm gonna say it anyways. Do you wanna come back to my place?"

Ashley didn't answer right away which made Shay a little nervous. Shay was wondering if she had misread the signals from the beautiful brunette. Then Ashley flashed her a smile with her nose crinkled a bit and said, "I'd love to."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Shay walked downstairs on a mission for food. She couldn't help but grin as she thought about Ashley still sleeping upstairs. She had known before they left the bar that the brunette was a firefighter and appeared to be in good shape but she could have never imagined just how amazing her body actually was. Ashley was all muscle, she could give Severide a run for his money in a best abs contest, yet she was still very feminine. Shay had also had a lot of fun discovering Ashley's various tattoo's. Normally Shay had no opinion on tattoos but she found Ashley's extremely sexy. There were a few that Shay could tell probably had an emotional story behind them but she had only asked about one before they had fallen asleep.

"So I know talk after sex can be weird in circumstances like this but I have a question." Shay said tentatively.

Ashley looked at the blond curled up next to her and she tried not to cringe. She didn't think Shay was going to be clingy but honestly she didn't know much about her, she had just met her tonight. But looking into those blue-green eyes, she decided to hear her out. "One question."

"This tattoo over your heart, the crying angel shrouded in pink, is it for someone special to you?" Shay asked quietly.

That was not what Ashley expected at all. It definitely hit a nerve, just not the one she thought Shay would go for. But the tenderness behind the question struck her. As she was about to answer Shay spoke again.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I noticed a very different angel on the other side so I was curious."

Ashley smiled and said, "Honestly I thought you were gonna jump into a relationship talk."

Shay smiled back, "Not what tonight is about, right?"

"Exactly!" Ashley responded. "No offense meant by that." she quickly added.

"No worries, none taken."

"So to answer your question Leslie…"

Shay shook her head, "You don't have to if you feel it's too personal."

Ashley shrugged, "It is personal but it's okay. I just don't get that question very often."

Shay smiled but remained silent.

"Well the one on the right I got eight years ago when my mom beat breast cancer in her right breast. The one on the left I got two and a half years ago after my mom passed away after a second battle with cancer only this time it was in her left breast and much more aggressive than the first time."

"Oh wow, I'm sorry…" Shay said quietly. "My first instinct was to say I'm sorry for bringing up a sad topic but I realize that would be silly given the tattoo I asked about." She finished feeling kind of stupid for rambling on.

"It's okay." Ashley replied then decided to lighten the mood. "At least you weren't asking where to send the U-Haul."

Severide's voice brought her back to the present as she emerged from the spiral staircase. "Looks like you had a fun night."

Shay knew she couldn't hide anything from her best friend, especially with Ashley still upstairs, so she didn't even try to come up with a story. "I did actually."

Severide smiled, he loved seeing this happy side of Shay. Although he didn't know for sure, the grin his friend was sporting probably had something to do with a woman she met on her night out alone. If that was the case he just hoped this wasn't the beginning of another love disaster like most of Shay's relationships seemed to be. He loved his friend dearly but she had horrible taste in women a lot of the time. But he tried to not dwell on that at the moment and decided to start with simple morning conversation. "Do you want some breakfast? I was about to make myself something."

"Can you make enough for three?" Shay asked, her goofy grin getting bigger.

Severide wanted to smile because he was right but he restrained himself and shrugged, "Sure. How about breakfast burritos with loaded hash browns and extra bacon? Horribly unhealthy but great morning after the bar food."

Shay nodded and was about to reply when another voice spoke up.

"Although that sounds very tempting, none for me thanks. I gotta get back to my sisters house. My nephew and I are spending the day together doing who knows what around Chicago before I go home tonight. It's a tradition we have every time I visit." Ashley said as she descended the spiral stairs. When she reached the bottom she saw both friends were looking at her which made her actually feel a little self conscious. She thought 'Man, the morning after can be awkward sometimes especially when there's a roommate.'

"I'm sorry." Shay said quickly. "I could have set an alarm if you'd told me."

Ashley smiled, complete with nose crinkle and thought Shay was pretty cute when she was flustered. "No worries." She said holding up her phone. "Brought my own but I appreciate the thought." She walked up to Shay and couldn't resist the urge to kiss the adorable blond.

Severide cleared his throat after a few moments to remind the two woman he was still there.

Shay pulled back, blushing and said, "Sorry. Ashley this is my best friend and roommate Kelly Severide. Kelly this is Ashley Davies."

Severide held his hand out with a smile and said. "Nice to meet you Ashley."

"Nice to meet you too Kelly." Ashley smiled as she gripped his hand. She was then slightly distracted by a familiar and welcoming smell, "Is that freshly brewed coffee I smell?"

"Yeah I just made it about five minutes ago." Severide confirmed then asked, "You have time for a cup before you've gotta get out of here? There's plenty."

Ashley looked at her phone. She had about half an hour before Tyler usually woke up. "There's always time for coffee when you're as much of a coffee junkie as I am."

Shay leaned back on the counter and watched the interaction between Severide and Ashley with a smile. She knew she may never see Ashley once she walked out the door but it made her feel happy that she was capable of attracting someone who seemed nice, stable and could handle herself in the always awkward meeting the roommate the night after situation. Shay chose to ignore the fact that even though Ashley accepted the offer of coffee she still was trying to make a quick exit and left no window for a repeat of last night thus far. Shay had to remind herself it was a one night thing, no expectations just fun.

"So you mentioned going home tonight, where's that?" Severide asked as he poured two more cups of coffee, one for Ashley and one for Shay. Severide couldn't deny he was curious about this beautiful brunette who had caused Shay's good mood, since she was usually crabby in the morning. Since Ashley seemed willing to talk he wanted to learn as much about her as he could before she left.

Ashley took a sip of coffee before she answered, "I live up in Milwaukee, luckily not too far away so I, and usually my brother, can visit my sister's family and my grandparents pretty easily."

"Did you grow up here in Chicago?" Severide asked.

"No, but my dad grew up here. He moved up to Milwaukee after high school to go to college and stayed. My sister did the same in reverse years later." Ashley gave the simple explanation. The reasons behind the moves were more complicated but in this case a completely unnecessary part of the story. She decided to get the attention off herself so she said, "Well since I know Leslie is a paramedic I'm guessing you're the firefighter?" She said nodding to the helmets on display though she already figured this man was the best friend that Shay had referred to last night.

He nodded, "Yeah, Shay and I are at the same house. I'm actually lieutenant of squad." he finished proudly.

"Impressive," Ashley said with a nod. "I'm on squad too, well with the MFD obviously. I have yet to find the motivation to move up in the world so I am just a regular old squad member." She finished with a smile.

"You're on squad?" Severide asked, obviously dumbfounded.

Ashley smiled, "I'm smarter and stronger than I look." Before she could say more an alarm went off on her phone. "Thank you for the coffee but I really do have to go now. In my limited experience, four year olds tend to get moody when you're late."

"If you give me a couple minutes I can give you a ride to your sisters house." Shay offered.

"No need." Ashley replied. "My sister's house is only a few blocks away ironically enough, I can walk."

"Are you sure?" Shay asked a little surprised. She wondered if Ashley's sister actually lived close or if she had done something to make the brunette want to bolt.

"I'm positive. She lives in the neighborhood about three blocks behind this complex." Ashley explained.

"Well can I at least walk you out?" Shay replied with a smile.

Ashley nodded, "Absolutely!"

As they walked towards the door Shay shot a nasty look back at Severide who just shrugged. They kissed again at the door and said their goodbyes.

Before Ashley opened the door she turned back and smiled at Shay before saying, "Hey if you ever make it up to Milwaukee you should give me a call, I could show you around town."

Shay laughed and said, "Well I would but as far as I know I don't have your number. Besides, wouldn't that go against the idea of this being a one night stand?" Shay finished jokingly.

Ashley shrugged, "Possibly but hey, who said we had to follow any rules." She said with a laugh as she opened the door. She took one step out the door then turned back and quietly said, "Oh and about my number, check your phone that's still sitting on your nightstand right next to your bed." She planted one more kiss on Shay's lips then walked away with Shay still in the doorway.

When she closed the door Shay thought if only Ashley lived in Chicago, she was definitely worth getting to know better.

As Shay walked back to the kitchen Severide said, "So, one night stand or love of your life Shay?"

Shay laughed despite her annoyance at her friends rudeness and answered, "As she said, she's a firefighter in Milwaukee. Total one night stand."

"You know I could buy she's a firefighter but on squad? Really?" Severide replied.

"Why would she lie?" Shay asked more defensively than she meant to, but after Ashley's honesty about her tattoo's Shay felt no reason to doubt the beautiful brunette's word.

Severide laughed at what he obviously thought was naivety on Shay's part, "To sound more impressive to get in your bed."

"That was the first time she mentioned being on squad to me. Besides Kelly, a woman that hot doesn't have to say much even if I wasn't intending to hook up last night. I'm only human." Shay added with a laugh.

"Valid point." He shrugged then suggested, "Maybe she was trying to impress me. You know, get in good with the best friend?"

Shay gave him a look he recognized well. "A one night stand trying to get in good with the best friend over a five minute cup of coffee? Really?"

"Okay, maybe she's telling the truth." Severide surrendered. "I just don't know any women that have made squad, that's all."

"Well now you do." Shay replied.

He decided a slight change in topic was in order, "I gotta admit Shay, she was pretty hot."

Shay couldn't help but grin like a fool, "That she is and you only saw her clothed."

"Gonna share details?" Severide asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shay smiled, "Those memories are all mine! But I will say she has an amazing body, her six pack is more impressive than yours." She finished with a laugh knowing that would get to her friend.

"Wait, what?" Severide said dumbly.

Shay just smiled and said, "So are you gonna make me breakfast or not? I had quite the workout last night and need to replenish."

Severide shook his head laughing and replied. "You're lucky I love you Shay. Breakfast is coming up."


	3. Chapter 3

Throughout the walk Ashley found her mind wandering back to the beautiful blond she had spent the night with. There was something about Shay that Ashley was drawn to, that was obvious when Ashley saw her on the dance floor. But she knew even thinking about anything more with Shay was ridiculous because they lived in two different cities and they had agreed this was a one night thing. Besides Ashley didn't do relationships, there was too much drama and work involved in being half of a couple in her experience. One night stands were so much easier. You have fun and then go about your life.

Ashley was a little surprised when she arrived at Kyla's front door, she hadn't realized how quickly she had walked. She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen knowing her sister would probably give her shit from the moment she laid eyes on Ashley.

"Hey there sis, glad to see you made it back in one piece." Kyla said in a teasing tone from the kitchen table.

Ashley smiled, "Very funny sis. Where are the boys?"

"I sent them out for breakfast. I didn't feel like cooking since I gotta go to work in an hour." Kyla replied.

Ashley breathed a sigh of relief, "Good, at least I didn't miss breakfast."

"What? Your flavor of the night didn't offer breakfast in bed?" Kyla asked with a bit of sarcasm.

Ashley shrugged, deciding to match her sister's smart ass comments with one of her own. "She tried but I woke up too early. Though I did get a cup of coffee from her roommate."

Before Kyla could reply the front door opened again. Kyla's husband Will walked into the kitchen, his arms full of bags. Their four year old son Tyler walked in with a couple small bags.

"Did you boys order one of everything?" Kyla asked.

"It feels like it." Will responded. "Tyler insisted on a variety."

Ashley noticed the bags were from a wonderful food truck that usually parked a few blocks away. "It smells wonderful, I'm starved."

"I'm sure you are." Kyla said with heavy sarcasm again.

Ashley just rolled her eyes at her sister. She knew Kyla was just teasing but sometimes her sister didn't know when to stop.

As they all sat down Kyla added, "I just want you to settle down Ash. You know, find a nice woman to spend your life with."

Ashley laughed, "Pretty sure I'm not gonna find the love of my life in a dance club Ky, just saying."

Kyla shrugged then suggested, "You could just take the plunge with Spencer."

"I'll find someone eventually Ky and for the record it will not be Spencer so don't even think about it. She is like my other sister, us as a couple would be way too wrong. But who says I can't have fun while I search for Miss Right?" Ashley said with a smile as she loaded up her plate.

"When do you have to go home aunty Ash?" Tyler chimed in.

"I'm driving back after you go to bed tonight buddy. I gotta work tomorrow." Ashley answered with a slight pout then smiled, "Which means today is all about you and me. We can do whatever you want little man."

"SWEET!" Tyler squealed with a huge smile.

"Within reason!" Kyla and Will chimed in at the same time.

"Oh you guys are no fun." Ashley replied with a mischievous smile.

After a day filled with junk food, video games, go karts, bumper cars, laser tag and mini golf Ashley was exhausted. Unfortunately she still had a two hour drive home to Milwaukee ahead of her. She said her goodbyes to her family and stopped at the nearest gas station to stock up on snacks and the largest coffee she could before she headed north.

Every time Ashley visited her sister it became a little harder to leave. She loved spending time with Tyler and with how fast he seemed to be growing up it felt like she was missing so much. She and her brother Mike had discussed moving down to Chicago after their mother passed away but obviously those thoughts had been talked about for a few years without any action. Plus Ashley had her roommate and best friend Spencer Carlin to consider. She knew that Mike and Spencer were the only reason she still lived in Milwaukee.

Ashley's bond with Mike was pretty obvious. They both grew up wanting to be firefighters and had grown to hate their father as the years passed. Once they graduated the academy, a year apart, they did everything they could to earn respect in the department for their abilities and not because of who their father was. Growing up in the family they did the bond between siblings and mother were much stronger than any of their bonds with their dad.

On the other had, Ashley and Spencer were friends who had been inseparable since they were toddlers. They both came from firefighter families and wanted to follow in the tradition. They'd gone through all the awkward growing up stuff together including realizing they were both gay. They were even girlfriends for two years but towards the end of the relationship they were arguing horribly. They realized the most important commitment for them to maintain was their friendship and sleeping together was ruining their connection.

Her and Spencer were both on squad together, with her brother Mike as their lieutenant, and they lived together. Ashley was sure plenty of people thought they were a couple when they first met the pair. If someone asked she would pose the question, honestly could a couple be around each other 24/7 working a high pressure job that is as physically and emotionally demanding as squad and not kill each other or at least fight like crazy at all? Most people would agree it was not likely though some would argue it was not unheard of as well. In the end everyone had their own opinions which the long time friends didn't really allow to affect them, they knew where they stood with each other.

As Ashley drove she found her thoughts floating from one beautiful blond to another. There really was something about Leslie Shay that stuck in Ashley's mind and it wasn't just the sex. Though Ashley couldn't deny Shay definitely knew how to please a woman numerous times and ways but there was something more. Maybe it was their conversation about her angel tattoo's. Ashley was used to women admiring her many tattoos but usually women used it as foreplay, never seeming to care about their significance only their location on her body. On the rare occasion that someone asked about why she got a certain tattoo she would give a quick bull shit answer. But when Shay asked Ashley told the truth which stumped her. Ashley decided this was a conversation she should have with Spencer. Maybe the woman who knows her best could make sense of this situation.

When Ashley finally got home the apartment was dark and quiet, she hadn't seen Spencer's car either. She stumbled into the kitchen and turned on the light. First thing she noticed was a note on the fridge.

"Made a new friend while you were gone. See ya at work tomorrow lady. Love, Spence.

Ashley smiled knowing there was probably some big story that she would hear over the course of the shift tomorrow. Spencer was the type who fell in then out of love frequently and there was usually some entertaining story to accompany the relationships inception through the eventual demise which sometimes played over the course of a single night. With nothing to keep her up she grabbed a bottle of water and headed to her room. She badly needed sleep because 7am was quickly approaching, which is normally when she would wake up to get ready for her 24 hour shift that started at 8. She knew if she didn't get at least a few hours sleep it would be a really rough shift.


	4. Chapter 4

Shay started her shift that next morning the way she always did, taking inventory in the ambulance. Dawson hadn't joined her yet which was fine by her at the moment. It gave her some quiet time to figure out how she would answer any questions about her night out if it came up. She hadn't decided if she was going to tell Dawson she went out by herself or not. Of course also in question was the topic of Ashley Davies.

Thinking about the beautiful brunette easily took her mind away from how many chest tube kits there were in the ambo. Ashley may have infuriated her at first but the woman had also completely intrigued her at the club within only a few minutes of conversation. Shay had enjoyed the rest of the night both at the club and once they were back at Shay's place where Ashley had effectively exhausted her with pleasure. Shay smirked to herself and thought they had both done a pretty good job of exhausting each other.

"Earth to Shay!" Dawson said, waving her hand in front of her partners face.

"What?" Shay shook her head and focused on the present. "Oh hey Dawson."

Her partner laughed, "That must have been a really good day dream."

"You have no idea." Shay said absent mindedly then shook her head. She needed to focus on the present. "I mean I'm just taking inventory." She said holding up what she had been counting.

"Well I didn't know gauze were so mesmerizing." Dawson said with a smirk.

Shay looked down at her hands and realized she didn't even know what she was counting. "Damn it!" she said as she threw the clipboard and gauze on the gurney.

"Relax girl." Dawson said as she climbed into the rig. "What's wrong?"

Shay threw up her hands, "I don't know what I've been counting."

Dawson wasn't sure what was going on but she knew keeping Shay calm was a must. "No worries. How about you call off items and I'll give you a count."

Shay sighed then grabbed the clipboard and started from the top. They quickly made their way through the list. Luckily Shay hadn't messed anything up.

"So now that we have that done you wanna tell me what's up?" Dawson asked.

Shay looked at her partner and instantly knew she would tell her everything, "Well Saturday night…"

The call siren went off, "Ambulance 61, difficulty breathing…"

"To be continued," Dawson said as she jumped out of the back of the ambo.

Shay jumped into the drivers seat ready for the call to distract her from Ashley Davies.

When they arrived at the scene the first thing they noticed was a big ass snake loose in the house as the man's son led them in.

Shay thought she could be tough but with one hiss from the snake she quickly realized that wasn't gonna happen. Dawson stepped up and managed to lock the snake into a room so they could assess the man and transport him to the hospital for the poisonous snake bite he had endured.

On the ride back from the hospital to 51 Dawson spoke up. "You're making me sound like a broken record girl, what's up with you?"

"Just tired that's all." Shay replied knowing the dodge was shaky at best. Earlier she had been ready to tell Dawson everything but now she wasn't so sure. She hoped if she could evade the questions a bit maybe her partner would lay off the questions.

Dawson shrugged, "I guess that could be the case but you usually are grumpy when you're tired not spacey or evasive and you never have a goofy smile on your face when you're tired girl. And don't deny this because you know I know you better than most people, right?"

"Yeah I know and I'll be fine. I just need some coffee when we get back to the house." Shay quickly responded.

"Alright." Dawson said knowing that pushing her friend too much could make her mood worse rather than better. The odd thing to Dawson was that Shay seemed distracted but happy. As she had said a few moments ago, normally if Shay was tired she was grumpy verging on bitchy so this was something entirely different.

They traveled in silence for a few moments then the radio broke the silence, "Ambulance 61 we've got another run in your area, you available?" Dawson replied affirmatively and they were off on another call.

The two maintained an awkward silence until they reached the address of the call. Once they entered the house Shay again became completely focused on the call, a gun shot wound. These were always tense calls because as a first responder, you can never be sure if there would be a shooter present or how many of the people around may have guns just waiting for a reason to use them. Luckily there were few people in the street and only one other person in the house. Her and Dawson quickly assessed the patients condition and prepared the woman for transport to the hospital.

It didn't take them long to get to Chicago Med and get the patient into the ER where Shay's friend Kendra took over. Once all the paperwork was done and they had retrieved their gurney they started to head back to 51, again.

Shay headed straight for the kitchen after parking the ambo, remembering her explanation of being tired, and got some coffee. She could see that Dawson was keeping an eye on her but giving her space as well.

It was quiet so Shay flipped through a magazine that was on the table just for something to do but she really had no clue what she was looking at. Her mind was back on Ashley, only the thoughts now were how to get this woman out of her head. Hell, it was a one night stand, why couldn't she just move on.

After about a half an hour Dawson finally decided to join Shay and quietly said, "Okay you've had your coffee Shay, are you gonna tell me what's going on now?"

Shay just shrugged and tried to give her friend a reassuring smile.

"You can talk to me about anything Shay, you know that right?" Dawson asked looking concerned.

The look on Dawson's face did her in and Shay quickly nodded her head towards the rigs, "Let's go to the ambo."

Once the doors were closed on the back of the ambo Dawson spoke up, "So I have a feeling this has something to do with what you and Severide did the other night."

"Why would you say that?" Shay asked, surprised by Dawson's assumption.

She shrugged and said, "Well you weren't like this last shift so I figured it had to be something that happened the last couple days."

"Well this has nothing to do with Severide. Saturday night he stayed home and watched the baseball game. I went out by myself." Shay admitted.

"You went out by yourself?" Dawson answered, obviously surprised.

Shay laughed at her friend's expression. "Last time I checked I was old enough to go to a bar by myself."

Dawson rolled her eyes, "Well I know that but…" She didn't finish her statement because she wasn't entirely sure where she was going with the comment.

"I know I took Clarice leaving a little tough, both times, and all that. I just needed a me night, you know?" Shay finished with a shrug and a smile.

"Makes sense." Dawson also shrugged and nodded. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, I did." Shay responded trying to keep the grin off her face.

Dawson just looked at her friend smiling and couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" Shay quickly asked.

Dawson kept smiling, "Who is she?"

"Who's who?" Shay asked trying to sound innocent.

"Don't play dumb with me Leslie Elizabeth Shay. Did we not already establish earlier that I know you better than most people!" Dawson raised her eyebrows at Shay before she finished, "You met someone on your solo night out."

"Well I talked to lots of people. I was out for the social experience." Shay answered evasively deciding to mess with her friend a bit.

Dawson shook her head, "Never mind, I'll just go ask Severide. I'm sure he met her before or after you guys made it to your room." she said turning towards the door.

"Gee thanks for making me sound like a total slut Dawson." she responded laughing.

"I kinda did, didn't I?" Dawson said with a smile then added, "But at least you're a loveable slut!"

Shay's only response was to smack Dawson in the shoulder since she had moved away from the door putting her well within Shay's reach.

"Owe!" she said with laughter, grabbing her shoulder where Shay had hit her.

"You deserved that." Shay said matter of factly.

Dawson nodded, "Yeah maybe a little."

They both laughed together for a bit. After a minute or so of quiet Shay turned to Dawson, took a deep breath and said, "Her name is Ashley. She's really hot, we had fun and it was only a one night thing."

"I knew it!" Dawson said with a smile then quickly asked, "Why only one night?"

"She lives in Milwaukee for one."

"Yeah that would do it." Dawson nodded.

"Yeah." Shay echoed. "Plus we agreed this was just a one night thing."

Dawson eyed her again, "But you kinda wish it could be more, don't you?"

Shay nodded. They both remained silent again. Shay finally broke the silence, "Bet Mills has lunch ready by now. I'm kinda hungry."

"Me too," Dawson said. Both women moved towards the back door of the ambo. Before she opened the door Dawson turned back to Shay and said, "It's nice to see that goofy smile back on your face. Even though it was a one time thing I think meeting this woman did you a world of good."

Shay could only smile and nod in agreement as they jumped out of the ambo.

Severide strolled up smiling, "I was wondering where you girls were. You telling Dawson about your firefighter Shay?"

Shay rolled her eyes and said, "She's not my anything Kelly, it was a one night stand."

Dawson ignored Shay's comment because she was more focused on what Severide had said. She turned to Shay and asked, "This Ashley chick is a firefighter?"

Severide chimed in, "Yeah the hot, fit type." Then he smirked before adding, "You know kind of like a female version of me."

Shay couldn't help but laugh at Severide's assessment of Ashley and nodded in agreement. "The man speaks the truth, at least about Ashley being hot and in tremendous shape." She turned and playfully stuck her tongue out at Severide.

Dawson laughed too but also rolled her eyes and said, "You two are such guys sometimes."

The roommates looked at each other in silence for a moment before laughing harder than they had already been as they headed in for lunch.

Later after another call Shay asked, "Do you think I'm reading too much into the connection I felt with Ashley?"

Dawson thought for a moment then said, "It's possible but then again maybe you're not. I mean you did say she gave you her number but then again there is a two commute between you guys. It really could go either way."

"Oh that clears it right up." Shay replied with a laugh.

"The way I see it, what's meant to be will be. If you and Ashley are supposed to be together you'll get another shot sometime. If not you'll find a different wonderful woman. You're a good person who deserve to be happy Shay, it'll happen eventually." Dawson said with a genuine warm smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Please let me know what you think of this story so far. I know I haven't changed a lot from when I posted it before but I feel better about the story this time around. I hope those of you who are reading this story continue to enjoy it!**

**6 MONTHS LATER**

Ashley was spending the afternoon with her nephew Tyler. By far this was her favorite thing about living in Chicago, being close to the part of her family she truly cared about. She currently lived in Kyla's basement which wasn't as depressing for her as it may sound. Another thing she enjoyed was that her grandparents only lived a couple blocks away. She may have issues with her dad but she loved his mom and step dad.

When she moved five months ago she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She was considering a career change but her sister and their grandpa, a retired fire chief with the CFD, convinced her to stick with firefighting for a little while to see if a change in scenery helped. It took a month for all the paperwork to go through and for the last three months Ashley had been a floater. She filled in when a house needed someone on truck or a paramedic, she refused to work any shifts on squad and so far that had worked out alright. For the moment she was content with floating and knew changing careers would have been a mistake. She didn't feel ready to have a permanent assignment yet because she was content to keep people at an arms length and when you were part of a house you couldn't help but get close to those you risk your lives with daily but her grandpa had a favor of sorts to ask which would challenge her current attitude.

A few days after her grandpa called her she was able to make it over to her grandparents house. Once she was seated at the kitchen table with a plate of her grandma's mouth watering chicken bacon parmesan penne her grandpa said he had a big favor to ask. He had been talking with an old friend who was a battalion chief he greatly respected and he had a spot on truck in his house that needed filled.

"Ash, this is a good opportunity." He said. "It would be a permanent assignment. You'd be part of a crew again."

"I get that grandpa but I don't know if I'm ready for that yet." Ashley admitted, her wounds still felt too fresh.

Her grandpa got serious, "I understand Ashley, really I do. But no offense, you're a lifer. You need a house to put down roots in, not this floater business."

Ashley thought for a moment, looking at her plate then turned her eyes to her grandpa. The look on his face was very telling. "I thought you were retired grandpa."

He suddenly looked confused, "I am, why would you question that?"  
Ashley laughed then replied, "Because me going to this house is already a done deal, isn't it?"

Bullshit was not his style so his answer was straight forward, "Yes it is."

"Grandpa!" Ashley said, clearly annoyed. "I don't want preferential treatment because of who I'm related to."

He replied quickly, "Well tough shit young lady! You've got your assignment so you'll have to make the best of it, end of discussion."

"Yes sir!" Ashley said with heavy sarcasm. She didn't like this at all.

Her grandpa's eyes softened quickly, "I'm sorry, that was too harsh. Sometimes I forget I'm talking to a head strong Davies woman." He said with a kind smile. "But seriously, Ashley I'm just trying to help. You haven't been yourself since you moved here. I think this house will help you heal a little and move past what you've been through."

"I'm not gonna forget just because I'm part of a crew again." Ashley replied defensively.

"That's not what I said Ash." Her grandpa replied calmly. "We never forget those we've lost especially when they are so close to us, trust me. I know it's easy for you to float from house to house because you don't have time to get attached to those you work with and that's okay for a while but I know you are a firefighter to your bones girl not a part timer. I also know you don't think you're ready to take this leap on your own so yes I used some connections to get you this permanent assignment. All I ask is that you give it four shifts. If after that you want out I'll do what I can."

"Why four?" Ashley asked, her anger had lessened tremendously.

He shrugged, "I know you're a damn good firefighter but you know how guys on the job can be when it comes to a woman joining their house."

Ashley nodded, it was a fact of life she had dealt with every time she had entered a new house in Milwaukee. It hadn't been as bad in Chicago so far but she had only been a temporary fill in, this assignment would be different. "So four shifts should be enough time for me to prove I'm not a helpless female?"

"That was what I was thinking," he agreed. "Though you won't have to do much to prove yourself to your new battalion chief, but from what I've been told there may be a couple guys on your shift who will need some convincing."

"Nothing new to me." Ashley said with a shrug then looked down at her plate. "I may need to nuke this for a minute."

Her grandma swooped in and grabbed the plate, "I've got it hun. And in my humble opinion I think you should give this new assignment a real chance. Your sister and I know some of the people in the house you're going to and we agreed you'll feel right at home in no time."

Ashley laughed and said, "Am I the last to know about everything?"

"Well your grandpa wanted some advice on how to approach the subject with you and as usual he didn't listen to me or Kyla." her grandma said giving her husband a look. "But never mind that dear, this will be a good change for you just wait and see."

Ashley shrugged, "All I can do is give it a try."

"Come on Shay, let's go." Severide yelled from the kitchen.

"Two minutes." Shay yelled back.

"Come on, we should be gone already." Severide pleaded.

After a few seconds Shay appeared in the kitchen ready to go. "You said quarter after. It's only seven after." She said with a smile, her coat on and her bag over her shoulder. "I seem to be ready to walk out the door yet you're sitting here with no jacket or bag in sight."

"I um…" was all Severide could manage.

Shay laughed, "After all the time we've lived together, have you not realized I'm not the stereotypical girl who takes forever to get ready?"

"Yeah well…" Severide said as he got up and headed to his room.

"You'll be back in a sec, I know." Shay said.

Shay was trying rather unsuccessfully to relax her best friend. She knew with Casey in the hospital Severide was stressed and apparently slightly irritable. Hell she figured the whole house would be on edge, especially her partner Dawson since her and Casey were now a couple. She also knew they were getting a temporary lieutenant to cover in Casey's absence and a new member to truck. It was bound to be an intense day at 51.

"Let's go." Severide barked as he reappeared and headed for the door.

"I'm not saying it will be easy but we're lucky to have you Davies." The Chief said with a warm smile.

"Thank you Chief. I'll do my best to fit in here." Ashley replied with a slightly fake smile.

"Let's go introduce you two to the rest of the crew."

It was the beginning of shift so everyone was in the bay giving the rigs a once over, making sure everything was ready for the first call of the shift.

Boden's voice boomed over the clatter and chatter, "Can I have everyone's attention?"

The crew began to make their way to the middle of the bay where Boden stood with the two newcomers to the house.

As the members of the house made their way over Ashley began to feel nervous. She wasn't sure she was ready for this but as she had been reminded a few times she had no choice.

She started to scan the new faces when she saw the flash of a familiar face she didn't expect to see. She didn't remember his name but the sight of him made her stomach drop a bit. She scanned the rest of the faces and couldn't find him again or see the other face she was looking for. It was possible she had imagined seeing who she thought she did, or maybe the roommates didn't work at the same house anymore. Ashley started to relax as the last few stragglers joined the group but then she saw him again this time with the other person she hadn't counted on seeing at her new house, the blond paramedic with the beautiful eyes she had hooked up with months ago.

"Oh boy," Ashley said under her breath, instantly looking at the ground.

"Feeling intimidated?" The other new guy said with a smirk.

Ashley looked at his smug face and wanted to tell him to fuck off or to punch him in the face but she refrained from doing either, it was her first day and she wanted to stay out of trouble for now. More than likely these people would experience her temper at some point but that was more of a week two thing at the earliest. Instead she shook her head and calmly replied "Nope I'm good."

She felt impressed with how calmly she uttered the words because she was rattled. These were the last two people she expected to see.

Severide looked at the two new people and immediately headed toward Shay who was still over by the ambulance.

"What's going on Shay?" he asked.

"Well I assume we're about to meet the two new people, right?" Shay answered, sounding bored by the idea.

"Wait, you don't know?" he asked with a laugh.

"Know what Kelly?"

"Come on." He said grabbing her arm and practically dragging her. Once they were within sight of Boden he said, "Look!"

Shay first gave Severide an annoyed look for pulling her along before turning her attention to the new people. She took one look at the stunning brunette and recognized her. "Oh shit!" she said under her breath.

Noticing that everyone was assembled Boden spoke to the group, "Alright everyone let me introduce you to Lieutenant Kevin Driver and firefighter Ashley Davies. Lieutenant Driver will be the temporary fill in on truck until Casey comes back. Davies will be joining us on a permanent basis on truck though she also has paramedic training as well as squad experience so Dawson, Severide keep that in mind if you need help on scene. Please make them feel at home people."

Guys were walking up to Ashley, introducing themselves but none of the names or faces were registering. All she could think was 'of all the firehouses I could be stationed at, it had to be the one that the blond I had a one night stand with works!'

"So should I be worried?" Severide said after Boden was done.

"Why would you ask that?" Shay said dismissively.

"Well a girl you slept with a few months ago who didn't live in Chicago is now the newest member of our house. Could be a stalker type thing or something so I had to ask." he said.

Shay laughed, "I'm sure it's just a weird coincidence. There's nothing to worry about!"

"So this really doesn't bother you at all?" Severide pressed.

"Look Kelly, I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason that Ashley now lives in Chicago that has nothing to do with me." Shay calmly stated.

"But what if…"

Shay cut him off, "If she was a scary stalker type why hasn't she contacted me yet?"

"Well she's here now on truck." Severide pointed out.

"Yes but she had to transfer from Milwaukee to join us here at 51. With all the bullshit paperwork I'd guess she's probably lived here at least a month." Shay speculated.

"Good point." Severide said with a shrug then changed moods slightly and grinned, "You gonna go talk to her?"

Shay shrugged, "Probably at some point." As Severide walked away Shay smiled to herself. She thought this new development could definitely make life interesting.


	6. Chapter 6

Unfortunately for Ashley it was a slow morning at 51. After the introduction a candidate named Peter Mills was told to give her and Driver a tour of the firehouse. She got the essential places down: rigs, gym, kitchen and beds.

Mills seemed to have an endless stream of questions for Ashley. How long she'd been a firefighter? How long she'd been in Chicago? What about her family? And lots of questions about her squad experience.

Some questions she answered honestly but others she dodged by giving general answers but not getting specific. Even though the questions got old pretty quick she actually liked Mills. He was obviously driven and really wanted on squad. His attitude reminded her of herself, Mike and Spencer early on in their careers.

Another thing Ashley noticed during the tour was lieutenant Driver's sour mood. She had already pegged him as someone who thrived on attention and figured he believed his rank meant he deserved the lion's share of everyone's attention. She'd dealt with plenty of boss types like him so she was only slightly concerned.

They ended the tour in the kitchen area where everyone was sitting around. Ashley figured this was the perfect opportunity for Driver to get some attention so she backtracked to the gym to investigate more thoroughly.

The gym wasn't anything special but Ashley knew she'd spend a good chunk of time there. In one corner hung a speed bag and a heavy bag. There was also free weights, a bench press, a treadmill, an elliptical and a home gym. Nothing overly fancy but enough to keep her busy during any down time that she didn't feel like sleeping.

Ashley would never claim to be a fitness nut but she definitely stayed in shape. She, Mike and Kyla had started karate when they were pretty young and besides enjoying it, they were good. They all advanced through the belts fairly quickly. As they got older they became interested in various forms of martial arts and they all had numerous belts to show for their efforts. They had always pushed each other to achieve more, to the point where they occasionally did amateur MMA fights. They would spar frequently but Kyla and Ashley refused to face off in an official fight.

Ashley was brought out of her thoughts when the door opened. She turned and saw a familiar face.

"I thought I might find you in here."

"Well you thought right." Ashley said with a warm smile hoping this wouldn't turn awkward. In a friendly tone she asked, "What can I do for you lieutenant Severide?" For the first time Ashley was grateful to chief Boden for being somewhat thorough during his introductions earlier. For the few moments between her seeing the roommates and the introductions she was wracking her brain for their names and was coming up empty.

He closed the door and said, "Well I'll get right to the point cause you don't seem like the type to bullshit around."

"Impressively accurate observation. What's on your mind?" Ashley asked, slightly worried about where this was going.

Before he could answer the alarm went off. "Ambulance 61 person in distress…"

"Not us yet." He said with a smile and continued, "Look I just want to know why you're here, at 51 of all the houses in Chicago."

Ashley laughed and replied, "I was asking myself the same question when I saw you and Les…, Shay."

"You can call her by either name, doesn't really matter. I have to admit I am impressed you remember both of our names." Severide commented.

Ashley didn't want to raise to the bait, it seemed like he was trying to get under her skin for some reason she just wasn't sure what this was about. But she decided to be honest in her response even though it made her look a little bad. "Honestly I recognized you both immediately but I couldn't remember your names. Boden refreshed my memory when he introduced you guys."

"Well I appreciate the honesty and in turn I have to honestly ask is Shay why you're here? Cause she's been through hell in the last month or two and she really doesn't need any shit right now." Severide admitted. He looked up and saw a strange look on Ashley's face and he added, "It has nothing to do with you, let's just say life sucks and Shay has bad taste when it comes to women."

"I'm sorry to hear that Shay's having a rough time but I guess it's good I'm not to blame. That would make things more awkward than they already are I guess." Ashley said hesitantly. It sounded cold but she wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't want to air all her troubles to Severide but by the look on his face she had to tell him something. She took a deep breath and said, "I don't want to get into it but I've had a rough few months as well with stuff. I needed a change of scenery and a bit of family closeness so I moved to Chicago. I've been floating for a couple months and then I got assigned here. Boden is friends with my grandpa, retired fire chief Daniels, so that's what got me here. If it's a problem for Shay I'll go."

Severide nodded and thought for a moment before he spoke, "We'll let you know." Then he turned and left.

Ashley walked over to the speed bag and hit it as hard as she could. She was annoyed by the conversation with Severide. She understood the protective best friend thing but he made it sound like he was talking on Shay's behalf. Why didn't Shay just come speak for herself? She didn't seem the type who needed others to fight her battles, but maybe Ashley had misjudged Shay. One thing seemed clear though, being in this house may be more difficult than she originally thought.

A couple of hours later Ashley decided she couldn't ignore the masses any longer. She knew she had to socialize at some point and what better time than lunchtime, besides the fact that she was starving.

As she entered the kitchen area she was greeted by a smiling Mills, "I was wondering what happened to you."

"Just needed some quiet time to adjust you know." Ashley said hoping he would accept her answer.

"We all settle in differently, especially when it's so quiet." he said with a shrug, though the smile never left his face.

"Exactly," she said smiling back then quickly changed the subject. "So what smells so good? I'm suddenly starving."

"Asian grilled chicken strips and vegetables." He informed her. "You can either have it over rice or I've got tortillas for a wrap."

Ashley smiled, "And this is one of the best perks of being a firefighter, good food."

Someone came up behind her and said, "If Mills is cooking yes that's true. Some of these other guys not so much."

Ashley turned and was facing one of the guys who had introduced himself earlier. She knew he was on truck but couldn't remember his name but decided to engage in conversation anyways, "Thanks for the warning. For the record I'm in the category of good at cooking a few things but disastrous at most things."

The man laughed and held out his hand, "I'm Joe Cruz by the way. I know you got the quick intro to everyone earlier but I figured I'd reintroduce myself."

Ashley smiled as she shook his hand, "I appreciate that Cruz. That group intro thing is not helpful for remembering who is who especially since I suck at remembering peoples names to begin with."

"Lunch is ready." Mills called out.

Everyone got up, filled plates for themselves and settled back down in their spots to eat. Ashley held back until the others had started eating before she found herself a spot. Firefighters can be creatures of habit and she didn't want to upset anyone's routine.

When she looked over at the big table she almost laughed. She thought, 'Of course the only open chair was next to Shay.'

Before Ashley could look around for another empty spot Dawson pointed to the open chair and said, "Have a seat newbie."

"Thanks." Ashley said trying not to laugh cause she caught the dirty look Shay gave her partner. Ashley had no way of knowing if Shay had shared their connection with Dawson but if she had Dawson didn't seem to hold it against Ashley, yet.

Ashley was able to take two bites of her food before the first question came, "So Ashley what was with the hiding? You scared or just antisocial?" Asked a dark haired guy who she thought was on truck too.

"Gees Otis, rude much?" Dawson chimed in then turned to Ashley, "Don't mind him."

"What?" Otis said defensively. "She gets introduced to us then disappears. It's a valid question."

Ashley nodded, "It is I guess. Look I'm sorry but I'm just adjusting. I've been a floater for a couple months then before that I wasn't working for about four months. It's been about seven months since I was assigned to a house."

That was a bit more than Ashley had intended to share but she hoped it was a sufficient explanation for now.

One of the guys laughed and said, "We all try to avoid Otis at times so we understand." He smiled at Ashley then added, "I'm Herman if you forgot."

Ashley smiled, "Thanks. Under the best circumstances I suck with names so I warn you all I may need a reminder for a shift or two but I promise I will remember, eventually."

"Well if you're on a call just look at people's asses." Shay chimed in.

Ashley turned to look at the blond with a surprised look on her face, "What?"

Shay smirked at the brunette and said, "Our turnout gear has our last name's stenciled on the bottom of the coats on the back. Didn't they do that in Milwaukee?"

"Oh, right." Ashley replied shaking her head. MFD turnout gear did have the same thing, Ashley was just thrown by Shay's comment. Thinking about anyone's ass, especially Shay's would not help her concentration level.

Shay shrugged then quietly said, "Just thought I'd help out."

Ashley shook her head. She was a bit annoyed with the blond but couldn't help smiling a little, "I appreciate that but you do realize, no one has said anything about me being from Milwaukee as far as I know." Ashley had told Mills and by default Driver during their tour but Boden hadn't mentioned it in his introduction.

Shay thought for a moment then realized Ashley was right. She wasn't sure how to respond so again she just shrugged and went back to her lunch.

Everyone had a good laugh over Shay's ass comment then fell into comfortable conversation over lunch. The guys asked Ashley the usual get to know the new firefighter questions about on the job experience. She knew they were sizing her up; trying to see if she could hold her own or if she was just a useless girl. Though some of this could be determined through conversation the most telling proof would be on an actual call. No one questioned how Shay knew Ashley was from Milwaukee to the relief of both women.

After lunch Ashley offered to take out the garbage just to get a break from the guys. She was enjoying the banter more than she expected but it was tough too. She found herself thinking about her last house in Milwaukee and the people she worked with, especially Spencer and Mike.

"You were handling yourself pretty well in there." Someone said from behind her. "Do you need a reminder on my name or do you know it?"

Ashley turned and found herself face to face with Shay. Her emotions were conflicted about the woman and she was feeling a little raw since she had been thinking about her brother and best friend. Ashley couldn't help her attraction to the beautiful blond but she was also angry about her earlier talk with Severide. She was curious where this conversation would go though so she said, "I've been the new girl in the firehouse enough times to know how to handle myself. And yeah I remember your name Leslie Shay." Ashley chose to leave out that she needed a little refresher to remember her name.

Shay smiled but then her expression changed to a bit uncomfortable, "So we should probably talk."

Ashley's annoyance fully took over. "Didn't your buddy do enough talking earlier in his information gathering mission you sent him on?"

Shay looked surprised but Ashley didn't notice. "Who talked to you earlier?"

"Look Shay if you were worried about why I was here you could have talked to me, I seem to remember talking to me wasn't a problem the last time we met. You didn't have to send Severide."

The alarm went off, "Truck 81..."

Ashley smirked, "Saved by the bell." She said as she walked past Shay back inside.

"But I didn't tell him to…" Shay started but as she turned Ashley was gone. "Shit!"


	7. Chapter 7

Ashley felt that familiar thrill as the engine went barreling down the street, lights and siren blazing. They were heading for a multiple car pileup which were always tricky calls. It could be a few cars slightly damaged or there could be severe damage with the danger of flammable liquids exposed. Either way she knew how to handle herself. She'd been to her share of accidents and knew how to use the equipment necessary to get people out of badly damaged cars.

As they got to the scene Ashley saw at least five badly damaged cars likely to have people inside since they were first on scene. When they jumped out of the rig she already heard Driver barking out orders so she listened for her name.

"Davies, Mills go help Dawson and Shay assess the injured." Driver yelled.

Ashley walked up to him, "Wait, what? I should be helping get people out."

Driver looked at her with a slight smirk, "I said you're of better use to us over there with the paramedics, away from the danger. Wouldn't want you to get hurt on your first day."

Before she could respond he ran towards the nearest, least damaged car. She was about to look for Boden to complain when Mills put his hand on her shoulder, "Come on let's go help, looks like they're getting swamped."

"He's such a prick!" Ashley said angrily as they headed towards the growing number of injured people congregating around Dawson and Shay.

"Yeah and I get the impression he doesn't like either of us for some reason." Mills commented.

"Well you asking me a bunch of questions earlier didn't help your cause and I think I was doomed from the start." She said with a sigh.

"Why's that?" Mills asked.

She looked at him and almost laughed because he really didn't seem to get it. "I'm a girl. Also I'd venture to guess if he's looked at my file I probably have way more commendations than him, that's just a guess though." She finished with a smirk as they got to where Shay and Dawson were assessing injuries. "Ladies, we are at your service."

If Dawson was surprised she didn't show it though Shay wasn't so successful. Dawson was the one who spoke up, "Mills you go with Shay, newbie you're with me."

Ashley smirked and wanted to make a smart ass comment but there was work to do.

Over the course of the next hour the crew worked to clear the scene. A few other ambulances had shown up to transport some of the injured motorists to the hospital so Shay and Dawson could stay on scene. Ashley couldn't help but be impressed by the pair.

Later Ashley was patching up a cut on a child's arm when she heard a voice that was quickly becoming annoying to her, "Dawson are you done with my guys, I mean people, yet?"

Dawson looked up at the lieutenant with a hint of annoyance, "Yeah I guess. Things are pretty under control here."

"On second thought, why don't you keep Davies just in case." Driver said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "We'll make do without her."

Before she answered Dawson looked over at Ashley who looked beyond pissed. "Yeah thanks. We'll get her back to you as soon as we can."

"No hurry," he said over his shoulder as he walked away.

The woman sitting with the boy Ashley was working on shook her head, "That guy's a piece of work isn't he?"

Ashley laughed and said, "That's one way of putting it."

"Well I have a few other choice words but my niece and nephew here repeat everything they hear." the woman said with a smile.

Ashley smiled too, "My nephew is the same way so I totally get it."

The boy looked up at Ashley and asked, "Was he talking about you?" She nodded and the boy continued, "I thought you said your name was Ashley?"

"It is buddy but firefighters usually call each other by their last names. My full name is Ashley Davies." she answered with a smile.

"Why was he being so mean?" the little boy asked.

Dawson chimed in walking up behind Ashley, "Some guys don't think female firefighters are as good as the guys are."

The boy's twin sister, who was sitting next to their aunt, spoke up for the first time since Ashley approached them, "Are you as good as the guys Ashley?"

"No," Ashley smiled at the little girl and winked before confidently stating, "I'm better."

The little girl smiled and laughed. Her brother smiled at Ashley too.

"All patched up little man." Ashley said with a warm smile then turned to the other two family members. "Are you sure you ladies are okay?"

The woman nodded, "Yeah just a little rattled that's all. My car is being towed right now and my husband is on the way." As she finished that sentence her phone chimed. She quickly read a new text and said, "Oh he's here. Alright kids what do you say to Ashley?"

Both kids stood up and hugged Ashley while she was still on her knees. "Thank you!" They each kissed one of her cheeks and stepped back.

"You are very welcome!" Ashley said blushing slightly.

As they stood up the woman said, "You're one of the good ones. Don't let the jerks get you down."

Ashley smiled, "Oh I never do."

"Good!" She said patting Ashley on the shoulder.

As the family walked away Dawson bumped Ashley with her shoulder. "You're pretty good with kids newbie."

"You know I have a name right?" Ashley said with a laugh.

Dawson laughed too, "Yeah but it's your first day so newbie it is for now."

Ashley shrugged, "Fair enough."

"Let's head back to the house." Dawson said.

As Ashley hopped into the back of the ambulance she heard the radio go off.

"Ambulance 61, you available to respond to a structural fire? Squad 3, Truck 81 and Engine 51 are already in route."

Dawson answered, "Yes, we're on the way."

When they arrived on scene the trio found Boden for an update.

"What have we got Chief?" Dawson asked.

"Apartment building fire. They're searching the floors now. A few people have already come out." he said, pointing to a group of people huddled across the street from the burning building.

"We're on it." Dawson and Shay said in unison.

"What should I do Chief?" Ashley asked.

"Go check with Mouch by the truck to see what he needs. I'll come find you if Dawson and Shay need help." he replied a little harshly.

"Yes Chief." Ashley said. She wasn't sure why he sounded harsh but she figured it wasn't a good idea to question him. Not to mention the fact that apartment fires still made her a bit nervous and she didn't want to have to explain that to anyone just yet, she was okay with staying on the sidelines.

After the sweep of the building was complete they hit it with the hoses. Luckily the fire was contained to one side of the building and only affected two floors. They were only on scene for about two hours before they headed back to the house since there wasn't a lot of area to secure.

When the truck was heading back Driver turned around and said, "Good to see you could join us Davies."

Ashley was going to answer but Mills put his hand on her arm. She turned and saw him shake his head, encouraging her to not raise to the bait. She turned back to Driver, smirked then looked out the window.

Boden had followed Ambulance 61 back to the house. "Dawson, my office." He said as he passed them heading inside.

Dawson and Shay looked at each other in confusion. Without saying a word Dawson shrugged and followed.

"What's up Chief?" Dawson said as she closed the door behind her.

"Just need to check some facts." He said pointing to the chair which Dawson took. "Did Davies and Mills request to help you and Shay at the car accident?"

"Honestly Chief I don't know. They just came over and said they were there to help." Dawson replied.

Boden nodded then asked, "Did Davies request to stay on scene with you guys?"

"No that was partially my choice sir." Dawson answered.

"How so?" Boden inquired.

"Driver offered to let her stay saying they could make do without her. I saw she looked pissed so I figured she could cool off with us for a few before having to face him again." Dawson stated honestly hoping Boden would understand and she hadn't just gotten the new girl in trouble.

Boden nodded and smirked, "From what I have heard Davies can have a bit of a temper so that was a good call Dawson."

"Thank you sir." Dawson said with relief.

"Dawson, don't feel pressured to agree, but I'd like to ask a favor of you." Boden said.

"Okay." Dawson answered tentatively.

"Davies is a good firefighter, you can't have a record like hers and not be, but I think Driver has it in for her. Can you just keep an eye out for her a bit, don't let her temper get her into trouble. I think Davies would be a great addition to this house and I don't want a temp driving her off because of his own feelings." Boden spoke honestly.

Dawson thought a moment then replied, "Honestly I think the guys will recognize what's going on pretty quick and help her out too but I'll do what I can Chief."

"Thank you Dawson." Boden said and stood indicating their talk was over.

When they walked into the bay truck 81 was pulling in. When he saw Davies get out of the rig Boden said, "Davies, my office."

Ashley looked at Driver and saw him smirk. Her blood started to boil a bit but she took a deep breath. She held her head high as she walked into the chief's office and closed the door.

Boden spoke up immediately when the door was shut. "I don't know what Driver's agenda is but try to be patient, he's only temporary. I've talked to Casey, our regular lieutenant and he's doing better than expected. He's still in the hospital so it will be a number of shifts before he's back but everything is looking good." Boden explained.

Ashley let out a deep breath, "Well that's not what I expected to hear after how you talked to me at the fire."

Boden smiled, "I'm sorry about how I acted earlier. I didn't have all the correct information."

"And now?" Ashley asked.

"I think this house will be stronger with you here, just be patient."

"Thank you Chief. We'll just have to see how things go I guess." Ashley said then the alarm went off again.

"Truck 81, Engine 51, Squad 3, Ambulance 61 structural fire at…"

"No rest for the wicked hey?" Ashley said as they headed out of the office.


	8. Chapter 8

The shift may have started off slow, but for Shay and Dawson it was like the calm before the storm. Since the apartment fire they had only been able to make it back to the house a handful of times and those stays were short lived.

Half an hour after their shift ended they pulled into 51 to hand the ambo over to the next shift.

"Man I hate days like this," Shay grumbled as they headed towards the locker room.

Dawson nodded, "I like being kept busy but this was definitely over kill. I feel like I could sleep for twenty four hours straight."

"Agreed." Shay said as she looked around the locker room.

"Girl I'll give you a ride home. I think Severide already left cause I didn't see his car." Dawson said figuring that was why Shay was looking around.

"Yeah you're probably right, thanks." Shay said while she opened their locker

Dawson caught the distracted tone in Shay's voice and thought for a moment. Then a sudden realization hit her, "You're not looking for Severide are you Shay?"

Shay quickly responded, almost too quickly with a slightly defensive edge, "Who the hell else would I be looking for?"

Dawson smirked, "Oh I don't know. Maybe a very attractive brunette firefighter who joined our house today."

"I don't know what you're getting at. I have no reason to be looking for Ashley." Shay said as dismissively as she could. She hadn't brought up that Ashley was the woman from Milwaukee and until now Dawson had given no indication that she had figured it out.

"I may be a little slow today but come on Shay. An attractive female firefighter that you knew was from Milwaukee before anyone else who happens to be named Ashley? I seem to remember a story from about six or seven months ago that co-starred someone sounding very similar to the newbie."

Shay looked at Dawson and sighed. She quickly looked away when she felt a blush creep up on her face.

"So our newbie is that Ashley you hooked up with isn't she?" Dawson asked.

Shay nodded since she had no idea what she wanted to say about the situation.

"Wow, that's a weird coincidence." Dawson commented when Shay remained silent.

"I know." Was her only reply.

"Well, what's she doing down here now?" Dawson asked.

"I don't know. I…"

"You don't think she sought you out, like tracked you down?"

"Dawson no. I don't know what brought her to 51. All I know is she's here because she lives in Chicago now and we needed another person on truck. I was beyond surprised when I saw her up there with Boden at the beginning of shift." Shay replied.

"You mean you haven't talked to her?" Dawson asked then quickly said, "Of course you haven't, today was the marathon of nonstop calls for us."

Shay sighed again, "I tried after lunch before the craziness but she seemed pissed at me. She said I should have talked to her and not sent Severide."

"Well I'd have to agree with her on that…"

"But I didn't tell him to talk to her, that's what's frustrating. I have no idea what he said to her."

"Well let's get you home so we can find out what kind of damage your roommate did. If you want that second chance…"

"Dawson, who said anything about a second chance?"

"When you told me about this woman back then I told you if it's meant to be you'll get another shot sometime."

"You did?" Shay asked trying to remember the conversation.

"Don't strain your brain Shay," Dawson replied with a laugh. "I remember saying it so lets get out of here so you can figure out how big your next move has to be."

Ashley had been home for half an hour and hadn't stopped bitching about Driver. She told Kyla about each of the six runs they had been on. The first being dismissed to help the girls and the other five being reduced to an overdressed bystander.

When Ashley seemed to slow down a little Kyla said, "You've dealt with difficult guys before sis. Just relax a bit, he's only a temp."

"That doesn't make it any less frustrating!" Ashley spat back.

"I know sis but Boden's behind you right?" Kyla asked.

Ashley shrugged, "Seems to be but we'll see."

"So besides the temporary lieutenant how's the rest of the people on your shift?" Kyla asked hoping there was some positives from her sisters first day.

Ashley laughed, "You'll love this one sis. One of the paramedics at the house is a woman I hooked up with on one of my weekends down here before I moved."

Kyla wasn't sure how Ashley wanted her to respond but she decided to take a logical route, "Is that going to be an issue?"

Ashley shrugged, "Maybe, too early to tell."

"How so Ash?"

"Her roommate laid into me about why I was at the house like I was a stalker or something which pissed me off. If she had questions she could have asked me herself." Ashley replied.

Kyla laughed because it finally dawned on her who Ashley was talking about, "Shit my brain is slow this morning. You hooked up with Leslie Shay?"

"Yeah, why?" Ashley replied defensively.

"At least you have some good sense when it comes to the women you choose to hook up with. Hell if I would have known I could have warned you that she possibly still worked at 51." Kyla said smiling, she couldn't deny she found the situation Ashley was in kind of amusing.

"Gee that would have been good to know yesterday morning." Ashley said sarcastically.

Kyla answered back with the same sarcasm, "Well yesterday I didn't know you hooked up with Shay."

"Valid point." Ashley shrugged. "But then why did it take you a couple questions to realize I was talking about Shay if you knew she was at 51, or had been? How many lesbian paramedics do you guys have in Chicago?"

"You'd be surprised how many medics would hook up with a woman." Kyla said with a laugh then answered the bigger question. "It's my first cup of coffee Ash and you've been bitching my ear off. Give me a break my brain hasn't completely woken up yet."

"Anyways, how do you know Shay?" Ashley asked.

"My old patrol was in 51's area, I knew the people in that house pretty well at the time." Kyla informed her.

"I didn't know that. If you knew these people so well, why didn't you give me a heads up before I walked in there? You know like tell me about the people you knew."

"Personnel in houses changes all the time. It was a couple years ago so I wasn't sure who was still around." Kyla replied with a shrug.

"Whatever." Ashley said slightly frustrated.

"Back to the point, have you talked to Shay?" Kyla asked though she thought she knew the answer.  
"Not really. After Severide laid into me I wasn't too eager for round two."

"I figured." Kyla said as she walked towards the stairs to get ready for work. "Look I got to know Severide and Shay a bit so I can actually give a little insight in this instance. My advice, whether you want it or not, talk to Shay. Severide is overly protective of her but she definitely has her own mind and will fight her own battles. Find out what's going on in her mind from her before you pass judgment!"

When Shay got home she found Severide in the kitchen making breakfast. "Just in time for breakfast Shay!" he said with a smile.

She couldn't match his smile, "I'm not hungry."

"Look I'm sorry I didn't wait around for you and Dawson to get back but I didn't know how long you'd be, you weren't answering your phone. I figured Dawson would give you a ride home." Severide said apologetically.

Shay shook her head, "That's not why I'm mad Kelly."

Severide looked confused, "Okay, then what happened? I know you had a busy day but that doesn't usually make you pissed."

"It didn't! Are you telling me you really have no idea why I'm mad?"

Severide just shrugged, he was lost.

She walked up to him, looked him in the eyes and asked in a serious tone, "What did you say to Ashley today?"

"Not much," he said with a shrug. "Why, what did she say?"

"Not much Kelly, she told me to talk to my buddy." Shay said giving him an angry glare.

"I just questioned why she was at 51 where you and I work." he quickly admitted.

"And you didn't think I was capable of asking that question myself?" Shay asked angrily.

Severide shrugged again, "I wasn't sure you would."

Shay took a few deep breaths to compose herself. She knew Severide was just looking out for her but she was tired of being viewed as defenseless. "I'm capable of speaking for myself Kelly. I know the whole Devon thing was a cluster fuck disaster but give me a little leeway, Ashley was a one night thing."

"But she's here now. Doesn't that concern you?" Severide asked calmly.

Shay nodded. "A little but I'd like to hear her reason for myself before I pass judgment, not someone else's version." Shay said as nicely as she could manage.

"Fair enough." Severide responded. "I'm just trying to look out for you Shay."

"I know but you can't fight all my battles Kelly. And don't forget I'm pretty scrappy when I need to be." She said with a smile.


	9. Chapter 9

After a few weeks at 51 Ashley was really beginning to settle into the routine of being a member of a house again. She got along pretty well with the guys on truck, except Driver of course. Although she had to admit it was getting interesting, even entertaining, to see what new bull shit job he would give her to keep her away from the main action of every run.

Her and Mills usually got paired up since they were both on Drivers shit list. They made the best of the situation and were fast becoming friends, something Ashley didn't have many of in Chicago. At first she tried to avoid any real connection but at the same time she felt comfortable around the candidate. She found herself sharing stories about her misadventures with Mike, Kyla and Spencer which was a huge step for Ashley. She had actually shared her whole story with one new friend in Chicago, but she wasn't ready to share everything just yet with Mills though she could see herself confiding in him eventually.

Nothing had been resolved with Shay but Ashley figured that might be for the best. Since her first day she hadn't had much of an opportunity to talk with either roommate and she didn't go out of her way to seek them out either. Ashley figured they had compared notes and were satisfied with her explanation, or just decided to ignore her existence.

At the end of shift Boden called everyone in for a quick meeting.

"All right people, I've got a couple announcements." Boden's voice boomed from the front of the training room. "Whether you already knew this or not, this was the last shift here at 51 for Lieutenant Driver and Dawson."

Ashley was a little surprised by the announcement. She had heard a little talk about both but hadn't allowed herself to believe the in house chatter until official word came down.

Boden continued, "Dawson will be moving to the fire academy." Cheers broke out across the room.

"Thanks guys." Dawson said, blushing slightly.

"And Lieutenant Driver will be moving on to his next assignment because Lieutenant Casey has been medically cleared to return to duty." Cheers broke out again.

Assuming the cheers were for him, Driver proudly stood and said, "It's been a pleasure working here with you men, uh and women. I'll have fond memories of 51."

Boden smiled a bit sarcastically at Driver then turned to the rest of the crew, "Alright go get some rest, see most of you next shift."

As they walked toward their locker Dawson turned to Shay, "How about a girls night out tonight to celebrate?"

"Celebrate losing my partner?" Shay said sadly then added, only half joking, "Well at least I can drown my sorrows."

"Come on Shay." Dawson said with a pout.

Shay couldn't help but laugh, "Alright fine. We celebrating at Molly's?"

"Eventually but we'll go other places first. If we only went to Molly's it wouldn't really be a girls night out, would it?" Dawson replied.

"Good point." Shay said with a nod. "What time do I need to be ready to drink away my misery?"

Dawson rolled her eyes then replied, "I'll pick you up at seven."

"With any luck Casey will give me a chance to prove myself instead of dismissing me to the sidelines constantly." Ashley said to her sister over breakfast.

Kyla nodded, "Casey's a good guy so I'm sure he'll give you plenty of opportunities to prove what you can do out there. Plus since Dawson likes you that will help."

"How will that help, today was her last day?" Ashley asked.

"Her taking off for the academy doesn't change anything about her and Casey." Kyla replied.

"What about her and Casey?" Ashley asked, clearly confused.

Kyla laughed, "You didn't know that Dawson and Casey are an item?"

"Well it's not like Dawson and I are close or anything." Ashley replied then asked, "How did you know they were an item or that Dawson likes me? I thought you were out of touch with the goings on at 51, yet you know things I don't."

"I had lunch with Antonio, Gabby's brother, the other day and both topics came up in conversation. Apparently that first day you made a good impression on Gabby; how you dealt with Driver and how you were with the injured from the car wreck you guys responded to." Kyla said with a shrug.

Kyla's husband randomly chimed in, "Ash, how about you come out with us for a drink tonight to celebrate being rid of this Driver jerk. Tyler's going over to the grandparents so you're not on babysitting duty."

"Nah, you guys don't need me tagging along on a date night." Ashley said.

"No sis, I insist. We're going to Hopleaf to visit Kim. You should come with us." Kyla said.

Ashley thought for a moment then said, "Sure why not. I'm supposed to meet Mills at Molly's at some point but we didn't specify a time."

"That's the spirit." Kyla said with a smile. "Now go get some sleep."

"What time are we heading out?" Ashley asked through a yawn as she got up from the table.

Kyla thought for a moment even though she already knew what she was going to say. "Let's head out around seven. That way we can celebrate and then you'll have plenty of time to get into trouble with Mills."

Later that night as Shay came up the stairs ready to go out Severide asked, "Are you girls showing up at Molly's later?"

Shay shrugged, "I'd assume so but I really don't know what Dawson has in mind. I'm just along for the ride."

"Alright." Severide answered with his own shrug. "Well have fun and maybe I'll see you later."

"Maybe." Shay said with a smile and a hug then headed out the door.

Dawson was parked in front of the door waiting. When Shay got in Dawson smiled, "I love that you're usually ready early." It was ten to seven.

Shay laughed, "Hey in my experience it's really dumb to keep a woman waiting."

"With that kind of attitude you'll make a woman very happy someday." Dawson replied.

"Yeah as long as I can find one that's not completely fucked up." Shay said sarcastically.

"Well, your bad luck with women can't last forever hun." Dawson replied sympathetically.

Shay laughed then said. "But enough about me, tonight is about celebrating you leaving me so where are we heading?"

Dawson gave her a look then smiled, "Well we're starting off at Hopleaf. Antonio and Laura are meeting some friends there and they want to buy me a drink. Then we'll probably head to Molly's."

"Well both places have beer so I'm good." Shay smiled as Dawson pulled into traffic.

Half an hour after they arrived at Hopleaf Ashley was having fun. It had been a while since she went out with Kyla and Will plus she hadn't seen their friend Kim in months.

As she was chatting with Kim she saw Antonio and his wife Laura walk up to Kyla. She knew they were friends but for some reason she got a bad feeling when she saw Dawson's brother.

When Dawson and Shay got to Hopleaf Casey was waiting out front. "Hey ladies." he said with a smile.

"Hey Matt," Shay said. "I didn't know you were crashing girls night out." She turned and gave Dawson a look.

Dawson quickly spoke up grabbing Shay's arm. "Let's get a beer or two in you, you'll barely notice Matt's here. Besides we need a sober driver to cart us around, right?"

As they walked through the doors Shay looked towards the bar and spotted Antonio. Then she noticed who he was chatting with and the others around them, one in particular. She turned to Dawson and said, "You set me up!"

Ashley had scanned the bar after Antonio and Laura joined them. She hadn't seen any other familiar faces so she relaxed slightly.

After everyone had drinks Kyla and Antonio started talking shop so Ashley engaged in conversation with the spouses. About ten minutes later she noticed three people enter the bar, two she recognized immediately and one she didn't but could guess who he was.

She looked at her brother in law, the one who suggested she come to the bar with them and asked, "I was set up her wasn't I?"

He looked uncomfortable so Laura answered, "Yeah but it was mostly Gabby's idea with a little help from Kyla, as far as I know Leslie had nothing to do with this."

Ashley laughed, "Given the people involved I figured as much. Do you think Shay is going to be as surprised as me, or did Dawson fill her in on the ride over?"

"I doubt Gabby told her anything." Laura confirmed.

"At least we're on equal footing I guess." Ashley replied with a smile and a shrug. "You know I should probably be annoyed that so many people know my personal business."

"Probably," Laura said with a nod. "But I can tell you that Gabby and Kyla have the best of intentions. Kyla doesn't think you've talked to Leslie and Gabby knows you haven't so they figured you can settle your issues tonight and move forward."

Ashley laughed, "Well this should be a fun night."


End file.
